Shloka 18
Adhyāya 55 — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Hesitation and Bhīṣma’s Authorization of Inquiry
Rājadharma Prelude
लोहितोदां केशतृणां गजशैलां ध्वजद्रुमाम् । महीं करोति युद्धेषु क्षत्रियो यः स धर्मवित्
Bhiṣma uvāca: lohitodāṃ keśatṛṇāṃ gajaśailāṃ dhvajadrumām | mahīṃ karoti yuddheṣu kṣatriyo yaḥ sa dharmavit ||
Wika ni Bhishma: Ang Kshatriyang sa mga labanan ay ginagawang kakila-kilabot ang lupa—dugo na parang tubig, naputol na buhok na parang damo, mga elepante na parang bundok, at mga watawat na parang mga punò—ang mandirigmang iyon ay tinatawag na nakaaalam ng dharma.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts a traditional Kshatriya ethic: in rightful battle, unwavering martial action is treated as dharma, and the warrior who fulfills that duty—even amid horrific carnage—is termed a ‘knower of dharma’ within that role-based moral framework.
Bhishma is instructing on dharma in the Shanti Parva, using a stark battlefield metaphor: the ground is imagined as transformed into a scene where blood flows like water, hair lies like grass, elephants resemble mountains, and banners stand like trees—depicting the scale of war while defining the Kshatriya’s duty in it.